


Beelzebub's Cooking

by TheRealRina (orphan_account)



Category: Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: Blackmail, Bridal-style, Canon-Typical Violence, Clueless Battler, Dessert & Sweets, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magical Butterflies, Pride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-15 23:08:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2246805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/TheRealRina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beelzebub maaaaay have gotten Ronove sick. Now Battler has to take care of him, since it was technically his fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sick

"Seriously! I can't believe you managed to make even a demon sick!"

Beelzebub stopped fiddling with her large sets of curls to look up at her sister, Lucifer, who was towering over the stake of glutton. Beelzebub pouted, and then proceeded to point at an irritated red-head who was pouring over medicinal books with Virgilia.

"It's Battler's fault! He's the one who told me to make the food! If he knew how to cook himself, he wouldn't have trusted me to do it for him!" Said red-head heard Beelzebub all the from across the room and angrily yelled back,

"Well it's not my fault for thinking that a fatty like you would be able to cook something yourself!"

Normally upon hearing such an insult, any girl would shed a few tears and run away, but the seven stakes of purgatory were definitely  _not_ normal. So instead of doing just that, Beelzebub simply replied with,

"You  _know_  all the weight just goes towards my boobs, since all you seem to do lately is stare at them."

Slightly flushed, Battler spouted, "It's not my fault you and your damn sisters wear such revealing clothing! I'm a teenage boy for god's sake!"

Before Battler could start to call the sisters all manners of names, Satan efficiently shut the yelling boy up by smacking him across the back of his head. "Do you guys ever shut up?! We're trying to look for a cure here!" At this, Virgilia only "tsked" and continued her search in her books.

"Owwww! You don't have to be so mean, Mammon!" Hearing Battler call Satan the wrong name certainly enraged her further. She proceeded to pull at his idiotic hairdo.

"What did you just call me?!"

Outside, Beatrice harrumphed as she tend to her butler who was lying on a couch.

"Sounds like they have stopped looking for a cure to my horrid illness and have started to bicker again." Ronove chuckled, trying to keep the mood light, but ruining it again once he started to cough. Beatrice looked down at her butler, noting how horrible he looked. It seemed as if he hadn't slept in ages; bags under his eyes were evident. His usually slightly coiffed and shiny hair was now a mess, thrown in all different directions around his head as he lie down. He had taken his monocle off and had set it aside, but he refused to switch his uniform for something more comfortable, going on about dignity as Milady's furniture.

As Beatrice looked him over, she certainly didn't think he looked dignified. Sighing, she replied with,

"None of them have ever really experienced sickness, so I guess it kind of worries them. It'd be too much to try to explain anything to them. Let's just have you taken care of." The Golden Witch laid a wet rag over Ronove's forehead, much to his relief.

The butler mumbled under the rag. "Milady, you mustn't trouble yourself with a lowly butler like me. Please, continue the game without me. Though I am sorry to say I won't be able to attend to you for a while."

"Whatever you say. Though first I'd like to dish out some punishment to the ones who did this to you.. Think I should boil them in chocolate and serve them to my lovely pet goats?~ Kyahahahahaha!" Beatrice cackled in her seat across from Ronove. The demon butler smiled, thinking it was nice to see Beatrice back to her normal self, and not fussing over him like a worried mother.  _Maybe Virgilia has rubbed off a bit on her,_  he thought.

"Please try not to hurt them too much, Milady. I'm sure whoever did it must've meant no real harm. If they had, they would've just poisoned me instead of simply making me fall ill." Ronove tried to reason out with the witch. She, however, wasn't listening.

"I don't care! I just want to try out a couple of new methods I've come up with on how to serve body parts~" The blonde's face distorted to that of a vicious smile, with no pity left in her cold, shockingly blue eyes. She abruptly stood from her chair, walking towards the loud noises coming from a set of twin doors. She opened the door slightly, but stopped. Beatrice turned and gave Ronove another one of her smiles. This time though, it was filled with actual joy.

"Don't worry, I'll get justice for you! So hurry up and get better, because I'm going to miss your tea!" With that, Beatrice stepped through the entrance, closing the door behind her. Ronove could already hear her yelling, and he smiled warmly. He felt a bit bad for the culprit, despite the state he was put in because of said culprit. He knew Beatrice would keep her word, and wouldn't be very forgiving. He decided that he would deal with the blonde witch later, if need be, and promptly fell asleep.

Back in the other room, Battler was getting beaten to a pulp by Satan and Lucifer. Beatrice was content to watch, having just demanding to find out who the culprit of such an atrocious act was. Technically, it was Beelzebub's fault, since  _she_  was the one who did the actual cooking, but she liked to see Battler writhe on the ground, so she dubbed him the culprit.

"Beato! Call off your stupid furniture! You can't just sit there and watch! I didn't do anything!" Battler cried out as he was being held down by Asmodeus as Lucifer kicked at his shins.

"Whaaaaaat?!~ You think I was actually gonna support you? No, it might not be entirely your fault, but this is just too much fun~ Gyahahahaahahaha!" Beatrice laughed, pipe in her hand, as she sat on a chair to better enjoy the show. She stopped once she heard a soft cough behind her and swirled around to face Vigilia.

"Beatrice, don't you think you've had enough fun? Just give the boy his punishment and let's get on with the game." Virgilia calmly commanded Beatrice in her soft-spoken voice.

"Muu. You're no fun, teacher." Inside, Beatrice didn't really  _want_  to continue the game, so that's why she was just trying to enjoy Battler's pain. She sighed again (She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately), and stood up.

"All right! Battler has had enough! For now, anyways." As the sisters heard this, they all immediately stopped and bowed down in front of the Golden Witch. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the stakes, and they all disappeared, leaving golden butterflies in their wake. After doing that, Beatrice marched up to Battler and demanded, "I'm feeling nice today, so if you grovel on the ground and kiss the tips of my shoes, I'll let you off easy!"

"You mean me getting beat up by the big-boobed sisters wasn't enough?!" The red-head asked incredulously. With another cough, Virgilia piped up,

"Battler, although they are furniture, please refrain from calling them such degrading names."

Although Battler didn't really feel sorry, Virgilia always managed to make him feel guilty, for reasons Battler couldn't understand. So he cast his eyes down at his feet for a moment, apologizing.

"Sorry Virgilia."

"It's ok, just don't do it again. Now, I think it's best to just do as Beatrice tells you to, since it was partially your fault for what happened to Ronove. He's a complete mess over in that room." Virgilia nodded at the door's general direction.

 _Damn it! I never meant for any of this to happen! I just wanted to give that stupid butler my thanks! Guess this is what happens when you try do something nice. Tsk._  Battler had been getting a lot closer to the demon butler in these past few weeks (Weeks? Who knows how time works in the meta world), and he realized that once you got past the creepy smile and openly flirtatious comments, he wasn't that bad of a guy. Or demon. Whatever the hell he was.

So Battler decided he should give him some food or something, since Ronove was always feeding him.  _I mean, it's his job as a butler or whatever, but_ I'm _technically not his master, so he doesn't_ have _to serve me._  Battler's thoughts are what prompted him to ask Beelzebub to cook for him, so he could give it Ronove. Battler was a horrible cook , and he knew it, so he decided it was better to ask someone else who knew a little bit more about food.

Turns out, the sister might've been a stake of gluttony, but she only ate the food, she didn't cook it. So when Battler asked her, she decided to try and cook for him anyways. I-t's not like she wanted him to like her or anything like that! She just thought that after repeatedly killing him, she should be a little nicer. She would've asked for help if she knew it was going to be consumed by the famous cook that was Ronove, but she didn't know, so she just went along with what she thought felt right. The food she ended up with didn't look half-bad, but she had substituted many ingredients and spices, claiming they would make the dish better.

And the dish had made the demon sick to his stomach. Literally. So now, Battler was feeling really guilty. Extremely guilty. The pained moan that emanated from the room beyond him didn't help at all. So in turn, he decided he deserved whatever punishment Beatrice wanted to bestow on him.

Even Virgilia was surprised when Battler got on his knees and kissed Beatrice's shoes instead of (rudely) pointing and yelling at her like he usually did, going on about nonsense like, "Useless! It's all useless!"

Beatrice had at first, let her mouth gape open in a small "o" of surprise, but she then remembered herself, and started cackling like the witch she was.

"You finally learn your place, Baaaattleeeeerrr?~ Gyahaahahahaaha! Please, by all means, continue!" The blonde smiled cruelly down at the boy, reveling in her victory.

"All right,  _bitch._ What's my punishment?" Battler had gotten up, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. The "bitch" glared at him, before pointing to the double doors that led to Ronove's moans, and simply declared,

"Go take care of him. Take him to your room, it's much closer. I doubt a scrawny shrimp like you could manage to carry my furniture very far."

Almost not believing Battler wasn't about to get eaten by Beatrice's goats a second time, he scampered off, completely ignoring the insults. As Battler disappeared from view, Virgilia patted Beatrice on the shoulder, smiling.

"That was quite nice of you."

"Yeah well, whatever. It was nice just to see the idiot kiss my feet." Beatrice frowned, cheeks slightly red. Inside, Beatrice didn't actually think it was nice. She just wanted to laugh and threaten Battler, to hide the fact that she didn't really see him as an enemy. _Guess it'll take a while before he finally realizes.._

* * *

"R-Ronove? You ok?" Battler called out in the darkness, barely able to see a thing. He shuffled forwards, not wanting to bump into anything and fall over. Instead, this action caused him to do just that. His leg caught on the edge of a mat, and he collapsed on what he assumed to be the couch. With an "oof!", he managed to sit up, thrusting his hands forward, trying to get a bearing of his surroundings.

 _Strange. I don't remember this couch being this comfy…_ Bouncing lightly to test the now soft couch, he heard a groan from below him. Scared, he immediately stopped and reached for whatever had made that noise. His hands instantly found a silky surface, and he raced them up against the material.

Another small moan. His hands continued their journey north, coming across a pair of soft… lips? Accompanied with a mustache, too.  _Wait…_

Battler's eyes had now accommodated the darkness, and he was able to see better. Looking down, he noticed he was sitting on top of a certain demon butler.

" _Oh my god!_  I am  _soooo_  sorry! I thought I was sitting on the couch!" Horrified, Battler was silently pleading that the butler was too sick to remember anything afterwards, because he knew Ronove would forever hold it over his head.

A small cough. "Well, it would help if you could get off and refrain from adding to my pain." A pause. "Though this position is quite… interesting. Ku ku ku ku~" The butler was chuckling under Battler, making him feel quite embarrassed; but then he started violently hacking, and Battler's embarrassment was replaced by pure worry. In an instant, he lept from the butler and scooped him up in his arms, bridal-style.

Ronove let out a small gasp, realizing he was now floating up from off the ground, and the only thing tethering him to safety were two strong arms. Instinctively, he clutched at the chest of the red-head, and buried his head in the crook of Battler's neck.

"B-Battler! I'm feeling a bit ill here! Now is not the time for going along with your little "I-wanna-be-a-hero" play!" Ronove tried to stay composed, but a slight waver in his voice betrayed him.

"Shut up! I'm taking you to my room." Battler gruffly replied.

Ronove looked up at Battler, wide-eyed. Battler noticed how that must've sounded to him, and his cheeks immediately flared up. "Ah! Th-that's-! Beatrice said as my punishment, I have to take care of you, a-and to take you to my room, y'know, so you could be more comfy and-"

Ronove let out a small laugh. He was finding this quite amusing, to say the least. "What?! What's so funny?!" The blushing boy demanded.

"Nothing~ You best make haste, for anyone could happen upon us in such an interesting predicament. We  _are_  in the hallway, Master~" Ronove replied, a smile plastered on to his face. Angry and flustered, Battler quickly obliged and stomped off towards his room, carrying the chuckling demon.  _I can't believe I wanted to say thanks to this creep,_  Battler thought as he gently laid Ronove on to his bed. He turned to close the door behind him, thinking it'd be best for anyone  _not_  to see.

With that done, Battler refused to turn around, because he could practically  _feel_  the "creep's" eyes boring into his back. Awkward silence filled the room. Finally, Ronove spoke up.

"I heard everyone fighting in the other room. I hope no one is hurt?"

Remembering how he got beat up by a bunch of girls, Battler simply relied with, "Everyone's fine."

"That's a relief. I wouldn't want anyone to be inconvenienced because of me."

Battler finally turned around to face Ronove, but only to glare at him.  _You mean except for me, right?_  He thought. The sick butler only smiled, but weakly. Battler now noticed how horrible he looked, now that he was in the light. Ronove seemed to be squinting against the light. His brotherly instincts took over, and he turned the lights out, leaving a small lamp as the only source of light.

"Sorry, is that better?" Battler asked, voice dripping with concern. Ronove simply nodded, then lay back down on his bed.

"I am quite sorry you have to go through this punishment because of me. If you want, I could sleep on the couch." Ronove started to get back up, but Battler was over to his side in three swift steps, pushing him back down.

"No no, it's ok. You're sick, and I'm to blame." Battler shot him a desperate look before sitting down next to Ronove. "I'm the one who told Beezle to cook for you… I just wanted to say thanks, y'know? For all that you've done for me. Despite the fact that you're a total creepy bastard. So… forgive me?" Battler was looking down at his hands, refusing to meet Ronove's gaze. His cheeks were growing redder by the second, and he grabbed fistfuls of the sheets before him. He bit his lip forcefully, somehow not breaking the skin. The demon butler found this to be quite.. endearing.

Ronove slipped a finger under Battler's chin, forcing him to look up and to catch his gaze. Now face-to-face, Ronove lowered his voice to a whisper, and replied,

"It's quite all right, Battler." Battler shuddered at the way Ronove practically  _purred_  his name. "I know it wasn't your fault. You taking care of me right now is enough thanks. I should be thanking you, instead. So thank you." The red-head's cheeks flared up, now the same color as his hair. He noticed that the butler had gotten  _waaaay_  too close again, just like he always does. Annoyed, he thought,  _Geez, hasn't he ever heard of personal space?_  Still, he didn't push him away. Instead, he gulped and nodded. Cursing himself for acting like such a school girl, he managed to choke out,

"N-no, it's all my fault! I-I'm really sorry! Because of me, y-you're all sick now, and I knew I shouldn't have trusted that stupid stake girl, but I-I really wanted to give back what I took, s-so I-" Battler was cut off (thankfully) from his rambling, by a pair of lips gently pressing down on his own.

Wide-eyed, Battler reached out and clutched at the butler's chest. Noticing Ronoves' eyes were closed, Battler shamefully closed his own pair, too. Ignoring the voice in the back of his mind, yelling at him to stop, he instead, melted into the kiss, allowing Ronove's gloved hand to come up and cup his cheek, effectively steadying the slightly trembling boy. Battler collapsed into the brunette's chest, wanting some sturdiness. Ronove kept the kiss chaste, not wanting to scare the boy off. He slowly broke away, leaving the boy speechless. Ronove smiled at the sight of Battler's beet-red face, and his shaky, low breaths, loving his reaction. And with that, Ronove simply collapsed onto Battler's bed and passed out.

Leaving and irritated and confused Battler behind, all Ronove could dream of was their kiss.

Battler, meanwhile, debated on whether or not he should kick the bastard out of his bed, or curl up beside him. After several minutes of silent yelling going on in his head, he decided on the latter. Battler lay next to him, and pulled the covers over. Before he knew what he was doing, Battler snaked his arm around Ronove's waist and closed his eyes, awaiting sleep. The last thing he remembered before falling into the abyss of sleep, was Ronove's smell. He smelled of gingerbread cookies and warm tea.


	2. The Morning After

Battler's mind had finally started to emerge from his deep slumber. Wanting to relish in his warm, comfy bed a little more, he kept his eyes closed. He snuggled closer to the body that lay next to him, smiling when the two arms wrapped around his middle slightly tightened and helped pull him in. He felt hands weave throughout his hair, and he couldn't help but think about how blissful and perfect everything seemed to be.

 _It's been a while since I've woken up to someone in my bed._  Suddenly getting mischievous thoughts in his head, he reached up to grab at the person's chest. Instead of coming across the squishy mounds he expected, his hand lay flat against the person's chest. Scared and confused, Battler tried to reason out,  _M-maybe this girl is just a bit flat-chested.._

To test out his hypothesis, he slid his hand down the chest, somewhat apprehensive, yet still loving the warm heat under his hand. Battler was too scared to notice the small gasp that came from above him as he approached the person's crotch. Finally, the moment of truth came, and he let his fingers slowly coil around the bulge.

"B-Battler.. Shouldn't you treat me to dinner first?" A muffled voice came from above him. The person's head had been buried in Battler's hair, most likely too embarrassed to face the red-head. "A-ah, no, that's probably a bad idea… since your food  _did_  get me sick.." A familiar chuckle resonated above, with a tinge of shame and embarrassment.

 _Fuck!_  Everything came flooding back to Battler.  _He_  had gotten a certain demon butler sick. Beatrice had made  _him_  kiss her shoes. As punishment, _he_  had to bring Ronove back to full recovery. And now  _he_  was the one cupping Ronove's…

In a flash, Battler pried himself from Ronove's arms, leaping from his bed, and backing away from the butler as much as he could. His back hit the wall behind him. Once he was somewhat satisfied with the space in between them, Battler proceeded to point at the slightly flushed butler in his bed, and start yelling.

"Y-you! W-why didn't you say anything, you creep?!" Battlers' hands came up to his face, attempting to hide his face, feeling his cheeks heat up. Then remembering what he had touched with that hand, he quickly tore them away and tried to rub off any unwanted residue on his pants. He felt his usual slacks underneath, and looked down to examine himself. He let out a small sigh, glad to see himself still wearing his white suit, meaning nothing else had gone down last night. The butler on his bed lay quiet as Battler tried to recall what had actually happened. Eyes suddenly becoming wide, Battler remembered the kiss. His hands flew to his lips, momentarily forgetting about the germs on them.

"You kissed me! You total pervert! Y-you-!" Battler exclaimed, tears in his eyes from pure embarrassment.

"Th-that I did." Ronove was trying to calm his shaky breaths, obviously still recovering from Battler's wandering hands.

Battler gasped, and then continued to shriek. "Y-you're disgusting! I know I got you sick and everything, but you didn't have to punish me that much!"

"Well you didn't push me away." Was Ronove's curt reply.

"I-if you're implying that I-I.. enjoyed kissing you, then you're absolutely wrong! Who would want to kiss a creepy old guy like you?!"

"What is the meaning of this?" This time, a female voice cut in. Battler swiveled around to face who had spoken, missing the look of hurt upon Ronove's face.

Virgilia was at the door, a tray of teacups and silverware in hand.

Battler didn't think it was possible, but his face had flushed even more, and his stammering wasn't helping at all. "Virgilia!" His voice was shrill. "C-can't you at least knock?! You're the one always going on about being proper!"

"Yes, I do go on about that. Which is why I'm wondering why you're arguing about kissing old men." Vigilia opened her mouth to lecture the boys, but decided against it, and set the tray on the bedside. "Have Ronove drink this tea, it should help his upset stomach. Beelzebub should be coming by any minute to deliver the actual breakfast." As if on cue, Beelzebub happily strolled in, carrying two more trays in her hands. Virgilia noticed that she was chewing, and had crumbs upon her face. With a small frown, Virgilia flicked the sister on the forehead.

"Owie! Hey, it's not my fault you entrusted me to bring the food here! I'm not the stake of gluttony for nothing!" She cried out.

"Let's go." The witch declared, and made her way towards the exit. Beelzebub handed the trays over to the irritated Battler, and cheerfully followed Virgilia. Before Virgilia could leave, she stopped at the doorway to turn and shoot a menacing look at Battler. In a low voice, she commanded, "Don't forget you promised Beatrice that you would take care of him. Make sure he eats. He's a stubborn one, so you'll probably have to feed him yourself. When I come back, that food better be gone." With that, the witch and stake closed the door behind them.

* * *

"Hey Virgilia?" Beelzebub asked, trailing behind the witch.

"Yes?" Virgilia calmly replied.

"You weren't thinking about your weird books you read when you said that, were you?~" The twin-tailed girl inquired, a hint of taunting in her voice. Much to the stake's delight, Virgilia blushed heavily, trying to reply as composed as she could manage.

"Of course not! I just wouldn't want Battler to be in a bad mood when the game starts. Beatrice would hate it if he couldn't concentrate on their game! I just want them to make-up."

"You mean make-out?~" Beelzebub corrected, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Please do not assume things!" Virgilia let her voice crack. As if things couldn't get any worse, a certain blonde demon appeared, wrapping an arm around the blushing Virgilia.

"Liaaaa!~ I wanted to come by and have a chat with you, and I couldn't happen to overhear… What's this about weird books? Could they possibly be the ones I let you borrow a while back?" Gaap had materialized beside Virgilia, pulling her closer. Completely taken by surprise, Virgilia only looked up at Gaap with her face flushed. Beelzebub noticed the body language between them, and came up with a flimsy,

"Is that cookies I smell?" and flew down the hallway, leaving the arguing women behind.

* * *

At first, Battler only glared at the butler residing in his bed. The butler simply stared back, eyes weary. Ronove decided he was too tired for anything, and collapsed back on to the bed. Battler seemed to forget his worries, realizing Ronove probably needed to get sufficient nutrition. He looked down at the trays in his hands, noting how the soup cooked up for Ronove was left untouched, but the strawberry cheesecake was mostly devoured. One small slice was left.

 _How annoying. Last time I ever try to do something nice for someone._  Battler took a mental note to steal Beelzebub's own food, completely skipping over the part as to how to go about such a tremendous task. Still visibly distraught, Battler walked over to the lying Ronove, thrusting the food in front of him. Ronove only looked at him, replying with,

"I'm a bit tired right now. If you could kindly leave it on the table, I'd greatly appreciate it." Ronove then rolled over, not wanting to be any more trouble to the red-head than he already was. Battler was about to happily oblige, but he then recalled Virgilia's threat, and knew he couldn't let Ronove just do whatever he wanted.

"Sorry, but you're gonna have to eat this  _now_." Battler tried to sound demanding, but it was to no avail. The demon merely ignored Battler, keeping quiet. Ronove was hoping Battler had thought he was already asleep, and would soon leave him be, but that was not the case. Battler was a big brother, so he knew how to deal with hard-headed people. Normally, when Ange was straight out, ignoring him, he would tackle the little girl and tickle her until her eyes watered, and she had promised to reveal the reasons she was ignoring her brother. So naturally, Battler slammed the trays on the table, leaving clattering silverware behind as he pounced on the bed. Ronove let out a small gasp of surprise as he felt sudden weight clamping him to the bed. With his legs on either side of Ronove's middle, Battler reached out to grab at his stomach.

Vaguely aware of what he was doing, Battler stopped himself from tickling the man underneath him, realizing that tickling a grown man (Demon. Whatever.) would seem extremely out of line. Still, Battler's mind hadn't caught up to his actions all the way, and Battler had laid his hands against the butler's abdomen. Ronove curiously examined Battler from below, cheeks slightly flushed and an eyebrow arching up. The red-head silently cursed himself for doing such degrading acts, especially with Beatrice's butler.

Desperately trying to come up with an excuse as to why he was sitting on Ronove, hands on his gut, he frantically piped up with, "Y-you're losing weight! You r-really should eat this food! I mean, a-after all, they  _did_  prepare it for you! And I don't think B-Beelze cooked it, so it should be o-okay for you to eat!"

Ronove chuckled below him, thinking he'd rather eat something else…  _No! Stop it! You can't play with Milady's toy, so just hurry up and eat whatever you have to eat!_  Ronove pushed his unclean thoughts away, and he decided to cave in. Meanwhile, Battler's head was in turmoil. He actually loved how firm and warm Ronove felt. And he hated the fact that he enjoyed it. Battler's eyebrows arched up in a deep "v" and he bit his lip again.

 _Why do I feel this way around this weirdo?! It'd be fine if he was cute maid or something, but look at this guy! He's even got the whole pedo mustache!_ Another voice in Battler's head piped up.  _I think the mustache makes him look attractive._  Battler scrunched his eyes up, looking the other way. He muttered a soft apology, yet made no move to get off of the demon.

Ronove could tell Battler was uncomfortable, and usually he liked to see Battler's face light up with pure humiliation, but he decided that it was enough. With another small smile, Ronove responded, "I don't feel as if I have gotten any lighter, though you're right. I should probably eat before Virgilia scolds you. I'd hate for you to get into trouble because of my selfish actions. Ku ku ku~"

Battler frowned, but nodded. Before he could say anything, he was interrupted. "Ah, could you be so kind as to hand me my soup?" The brunette requested. Nodding once again, Battler finally removed himself from the butler, and stood to retrieve the trays of food and bring them back over to the sick patient. He handed over the tray, careful not to spill anything, and then took his place in a chair beside the bed.

The meal took place in silence mostly. Ronove commented on how the meal tasted great. (Though Battler thought Ronove's cooking was still better, but he would never say that) Battler only "Hn-ed" in response. Once they had finished their meal, Battler noticed the barely-touched cheesecake slice on his own tray. He decided he should give it to Ronove, since he  _was_  sick after all, and Ange said sweets always made her feel better. So with that, Battler grabbed the plate of cheesecake and placed it onto Ronove's tray. Blushing, Battler looked away, mumbling. The butler peered up at him, eyes a bit wider than usual.

"Battler, you go ahead and eat it. You're already taking care of me, so there's no need to punish yourself further." Ronove smiled up at Battler, politely refusing the slice. Battler only frowned, but took up the slice and cut into it with his fork. About to take a bite, he stopped himself, a better idea popping into his head. The red-head leaned forward and pushed the fork into Ronove's mouth, eyes half-lidded and smirking.

"I don't see why you're calling it a punishment, when I clearly enjoy seeing your face get all flustered like it is right now~" Battler smiled at the sight in front of him. Ronove was trying to keep himself calm and collected, but was utterly failing. His cheeks were the shade of a tomato, and his eyes were wide from surprise. A bit of crumbs surrounded his chin and lips as he slowly chewed down on the cheesecake. "Hey, I'm being nice here. I'll even give you the best part of any cake!"

Battler plucked the strawberry off of the slice, popping it into Ronove's slightly open mouth. Some of the icing had gotten on his fingers, and he took the chance to sensually lick it off, all the while staring Ronove right in the face.  _Serves him right for being so creepy. How's it feel to have a taste of your own medicine, you perv?_  A pause.  _I really wanted that strawberry though… I don't care how childish I sound, that's like, the best part!... Ah, to hell with it!_  And with that, Battler sat next to the stammering butler and caught his lips with his own.

Battler shivered, goosebumps running up and down his arms and back, but he continued relentlessly, hoping to get the butler to open up a bit. Battler lapped at Ronove's lips, licking up any leftover crumbs, hoping he would get the message. Ronove finally granted access to the red-head, and Battler slipped his tongue inside, relishing in the taste of Ronove. He mostly tasted of cake, but there was still an underlying tone of gingerbread cookies and tea that Battler remembered from their earlier kiss.

He swiftly ran his tongue over Ronove's lips, before delving into the cavern of his mouth again, going straight for the strawberry that was somehow still intact. They stayed like that for a while as Ronove let Battler regain the sweet fruit. Finally completing his goal of taking it back, Battler still didn't want the kiss to end, loving the way Ronove was just melting into his arm, and the small moans that emanated deep from within his throat. So he allowed the kiss to continue for a bit, raking his fingers through the butler's silky hair. Once breathing became an issue for the both of them, Battler pulled away, chewing down on his newly accomplished strawberry. The sight he was rewarded with was spectacular.

Ronove's face was now completely red, plump and slightly irritated lips hanging open in a small "o". A trail of saliva raced down his chin, and his hands flew up to wipe it away. Battler beat him to it, and forced him to look back up at the red-head, with a finger underneath the butler's chin. Battler smiled, eyes crinkling at the sight.  _Who knew he could look so adorable?_

"A-ah.. B-Battler I.. I fail to understand what your goal is here.." Ronove managed to choke out. Battler silenced him with another kiss. This one was small and sweet.

"Shh. I have to go return to my game. I'll be back." Battler took up the empty dishes and calmly walked out of the room, leaving behind a flustered and confused Ronove. On the way to the kitchen, he dropped the dishes off and met up with Beatrice. He ignored all her rude insults and her questioning about why he was smiling.  _Ah yes. I'd better get this over with so I can go back and make him see what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the harassment. Ihihihhihi~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. There you go. This happened. It was really fun writing this! Anyways, criticism is greatly appreciated! Thanks!


	3. Ritual

It had become a ritual by now. Battler would go face Beatrice in her complicated and confusing games, and after Battler had decided he had enough, he would call for a break and return to his room where a certain demon butler was waiting. After exchanging pleasantries, Battler would take his place beside Ronove on the bed, even if the red-head wasn't in the least bit tired. Battler just wanted some excuse to be able to snuggle up with him.

Eventually, Battler would fall asleep in Ronoves' arms, and Ronove would let him, knowing how Beatrice tended to be quite cruel. Each night, (Or whatever passed off as night in the meta world) Ronove would happily coddle the sleeping boy, wondering how long this would continue.

Battler made sure to be the first one to wake up in the morning, silently sliding out of bed and heading off into the kitchen to get the ill some breakfast. Once he made it back, Battler would proceed to feed the butler himself, no matter how much Ronove protested, claiming he was healthy enough to feed himself. No matter how many times Ronove had gone through it, he was always surprised when Battler attacked his lips, licking up any left-overs from their meal. Each kiss was getting longer, and Battler was finding it harder and harder to break it off, before leaving to confront the Golden Witch all over again.

This process continued for some time, until Beatrice started to complain.

"I know Beelzebub's food can be really bad, but he's a demon! He should be able to heal quickly! You haven't done anything to him, have you?" She poked at Battler with her pipe. "Just to get back at me? It'd be flattering, really~ To know you hate me enough to tear up my furniture~" Beatrice smiled, allowing her pointy teeth to shine in the light.

"You really are weird, Beato. And no, I've only been trying to help him. He just.. hasn't made a full recovery yet. Eheh…" Battler lied, hoping Beatrice wouldn't barge into his room one evening to check up on Ronove. Especially at times when they were doing things  _other_  than feeding him soup and such healing activities.  _All hell really would break loose,_  he thought.

Beatrice could easily tell when Battler was lying, but she didn't want to focus on her furniture. She wanted to see Battler's face contort with pain and humiliation. At least she told herself that so she could push down the sudden twinge of jealousy she was feeling. So she left it at that, continuing the game. Virgilia stood off to one side, knowing exactly how the blonde witch was feeling. She let out a small sigh, and looked on in silence, debating on whether she should get involved or not.

After a heated discussion in the game, Battler decided he had enough. He had just watched more of his family members die at the hands of the witch. And that particular witch was standing right in front of him, cackling at him. Even if she had a cute face and big boobs, Battler was still struggling to contain his anger. He desperately wanted to lash out at, well, pretty much anything. So he slammed his fist on the table and quickly stood up to yell and point at Beatrice.

"You think this is funny?! Killing everyone I love? Even Maria-chan?! The only one who actually looks up to you?!" Battler knew the answer to this, but he just wanted to scream at the witch.

"Why of course, Baaaatttleeeeeerr~! Maria isn't the only one who admires me, though. A cute little maid named Shannon looks up to me too, y'know~" Beatrice took this chance to bring up Shannon again, hoping to get a reaction out of Battler. She knew she was being too roundabout, but she still had a shred of hope left in her.

"Ah, it's not fair!" Battler cried out, having taken another look at his family's mutilated corpses displayed on the big screen. He wiped at his eyes, not wanting to let the witch see him cry yet again. He tried to maintain his usual angry face he made whenever he talked to the demented witch. Beatrice took note of this, and thought it was hilarious.

"Awww, what's that? The super strong and amazing heroine is crying now?~ How ironic! Gyahahahahahaha!" The witch shook in her seat with laughter, throwing her head back and allowing her bangs to fall clear from her forehead. "Aha! I'm gonna start to cry myself!~" The witch wiped at her own eyes, still giggling.

Battler had tried to glare at her, eyes narrowing and mouth set in a firm line. The effect was ruined, however, as tears ran down his heated cheeks. Normally when Battler broke down, he had nowhere to go to. He'd just try to get over it as soon as possible, not wanting to leave the room, knowing that for Beatrice, it'd be just like another victory. But now, Battler knew he had somewhere to go to. Battler wanted to run to Ronove for healing (wait, wasn't he supposed to be the one healing him?), and he knew there was nothing stopping him.

Battler quickly pushed away from the table, and away from the snickering witch. He began to stride away, tears slightly clouding his vision. He didn't let that, nor a witch yelling after him saying,

"Hey! You gonna just run away like the insignificant wimp you are?!", stop him. It was at times like these that Battler would've believed in magic, just so he could use it get away as quickly as he could. He tore down the hallway in his search for his room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Beatrice puffed in her chair. "That big baby. Wonder why he didn't just get over it quickly, like he usually does." Beatrice slipped her pipe into her mouth, trying to calm herself down.

"Well, you  _did_  just kill some of his loved ones. It's to be expected." Virgilia had now appeared in front of Beatrice, taking Battler's seat across from the pouting witch.

"Yeah, yeah. But I have to. You know I have to, right teacher?" Beatrice had her head tilted down as she looked at Virgilia from under her long eyelashes.

"I know." Virgilia patted Beatrice on the head, trying to comfort her.

* * *

Battler tore the door open, almost knocking it off its hinges, as he pounced at the confused Ronove standing in the doorway. Battler vaguely took note that Ronove was up and about, instead of lying down like he  _should_  be, but he decided he would take care of that later. Battler threw his arms around the butler, squeezing him so hard that Ronove thought his death would be because of a trembling, cute, little teenage boy. Ronove felt moisture soak through his shirt, seeing as Battler forced him to at least take off his outer layer "for comfort".

He looked down, bewildered. After getting over his initial shock, the brunette quickly reached behind Battler to close the door. Once that task was done, he placed his hand on the small of his back and used his other hand to comb through his fiery red hair. Ronove leaned down to whisper assurances into Battler's ear. Things like, "It'll be ok." and "Calm down, I'm here." made Battler shiver, despite the warmth he was receiving from the older man's chest.

He was just happy to be back in Ronoves' arms, and he felt his earlier panic start to fade away. He didn't even realize he had his head buried in the other's chest, but he noticed when he slightly pulled away to look up and give Ronove a shaky smile, eyes still brimming with tears.

Ronoves' eyebrows arched up in a "v" of worry as he looked down at the crying boy he held tightly. He had seen Battler cry before, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only stand by and watch his master cruelly enjoy his torture. Now though, he was able to hold him close, and reassure him.  _He should always smile. A cute face like his should never be allowed to cry,_  Ronove thought. The demon took this chance to peck Battler's forehead.

Battler had thought his panic was finally subsiding, but when Ronove showed such affectionate gestures, coupled with the way Ronove was holding him so dearly, as if he was a fragile being that could easily break-

Battler couldn't take it, and began to bawl again, clinging on desperately to the worry-sick butler. He felt his heart start to race again, though this time it was for a different reason. Ronove placed his chin on top of Battler's head, scared that he might've frightened the boy again.

"Hey now, I had just gotten you to stop crying. Was it something I did?" Ronove inquired, not wanting to hurt the red-head any further. Battler's response was a mixture of a muffled hiccup and a giggle. Battler proceeded to stand on his tip-toes, and timidly kiss the butler. Ronoves' eyes grew wide with surprise, but quickly fell back down, kissing Battler back. Ronove kept the kiss chaste, not wanting to scare him. The brunette was the first to pull back, panting slightly and allowing their foreheads to touch.

Battler let out a shaky giggle, smiling at Ronove. Ronove wiped at Battler's face, cleaning him of his tears. The red-head closed his eyes as he allowed the butler to do this. He shuddered when he felt a hand run up and down his spine. He felt his insides turn to mush as he whimpered and pushed closer to Ronove. He knew his knees were about to give out, and his stomach was churning from the metaphorical butterflies in it. He tugged at the collar in front of him. Not trusting his voice to obey him, he talked in a low voice that only Ronove could hear.

"R-Ronove…? I need to lie down." The butler nodded.

"As you wish." With that, Ronove swooped Battler up in a swift motion, taking him in his arms bridal-style. A strangled yelp slipped out from Battler's lips, and he clung to Ronove's neck for dear life. Still, he was glad Ronove was doing him this service. He knew he probably wouldn't make it to his bed on his own, even if it was only a few feet away.

The demon butler gently laid Battler down on the bed. Before he could straighten up, Battler reached out and caught Ronove's shirt, pulling him down with him. Ronove now had his arms on either side of the teenage boy's head; their faces only scant inches apart. Battler didn't mean for it look that way, but he didn't want to be separated from his beloved butler for more than what was needed.

Chuckling nervously, Battler managed to choke out, "S-sorry! I just.. Don't want-" Before he could finish, Battler was interrupted by a pair of lips smashing down on to his own. Battler screwed his eyes shut, allowing the kiss to continue as his arms shakily wrapped around Ronove's middle, pulling him closer. Ronove broke away, much to Battler's annoyance.

"Do you want to tell me why you've come to me, bawling like a baby?" Ronove asked teasingly. Inside though, he really wanted to know what had cause Battler to break down again. At this, Battler pouted. He didn't want to bring Beatrice up. Not in the middle of what he hoped to be a session. So Battler rose up to catch the butlers' mouth, gently biting down on his lower lip.

"Talk… later. Right now… I just want.." Battler managed to get out in between kisses. Ronove smiled, but still pushed him away. The other growled, reaching out to grab at the man's collar. It was to no avail, as Ronove caught his hands and held them above his head, pinning him to the bed. Battler blushed, somewhat liking the rough way he was being treated.  _What are you, some kind of masochist?_  A voice in the back of his head shot out.

"Y'know, I was so surprised when you just barreled in like that. You almost knocked me over." Ronove (thankfully) interrupted Battlers' thoughts. So in return, Battler interrupted him.

"Yeah, why  _were_  you out of bed? I thought I told you to stay here. I don't want anyone finding out you're all better now. Then you'll be forced to go back to that psycho and I won't be able to.." Battler didn't finish as he felt his cheek heat up.

"To tell the truth, I was about to go report to Milady that I was feeling better. I know you want to keep toying around with me, but I had responsibilities as Milday's furniture." Ronove explained. Battler's heart skipped a beat.  _Is that what he thinks I'm doing? Well maybe I am… What could I hope to get out of this creepy relationship with Beato's butler?_  Battlers' thoughts trailed off as he stared into Ronove's face. He felt anger start to bubble up again.  _No, I can't imagine living without him now. Not being able to come back into his waiting arms.._

"Toying around with you? Is that what this is to you?" Battler spat out the words as if they were poison.

"Well, I'm sorry if I fail to see any other reason why you're doing these things to me. Unless you're trying to get back at Milady by hurting her furniture."

Battler couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why does everyone seem to think that?!"

"Because you've despised me ever since we met. Even if in the recent past, we've been getting along better, you still seemed to resent me. Which I get. A friend of my enemy is my enemy too." Ronove tried to reason out. He kept his face stoic, not letting any of his real emotions through.

"I don't think that's how it goes." Battler refuted.

"Excuse my rudeness, but you know what I mean."

"Ronove, listen. Even  _I_  don't know why I'm doing what I'm doing. I just think I li-" Ronove intervened, unaware of what Battler was about to confess.

"So do you just kiss people because you want to? Without thinking of the other's feelings? I know I'm a demon, but I still have some emotions."

Battler knew he was being stubborn again, and wouldn't shut up. So he decided to resolve the problem with sheer force, hoping he would finally get the message. Ronove had somewhat loosened his grip on Battler's wrists, and Battler took advantage of it. He lunged forwards, sliding his hands free and using their close proximity to catch Ronoves' wrists instead, so that it was now Battler pinning the butler to his bed. With one leg to one side of him and the other in between Ronove's, Battler leaned down and allowed his spiky hair to fall forward. He leaned down close enough so that their noses were barely touching, and he could feel the other's breath on his face. In a low growl, Battler began,

"Listen up. I know I seemed to hate you and all that, but I had my reasons, ok? I don't feel like that anymore. And if you're implying that I'm some slut that goes around making out with every living thing out there, you're wrong. Ok? I might seem like it, but that's not me." Battler paused, searching for the right words.

"I just.. Came to like you more than the others. I mean, you're pretty decent compared to Beato and her crazy furniture. Aside from you, of course." Battler flushed, not being too good at confessions. He was usually the one that was being confessed to, back when he was in middle and high school.

"Decent? That's pretty flattering, coming from you." Ronove chuckled underneath the boy.

"Sh-shut up! You get what I'm trying to say." Battler pouted, face still few inches away from Ronove's.

"I'm afraid I don't. Could you please be a bit more clear?" Ronove teased, loving how bright red Battler's face had become, despite their position.

"I like you, ok?!" Battler spouted. He scrunched his eyes shut, a bit mad that Ronove was proving to have that much control over him.

"As a friend?" The demon oh-so-innocently inquired. Battler became more irritated, and was about to start yelling down at the butler, when he refrained from doing so as he thought of a better idea. He took their position to his advantage as his slowly pulled his knee up, applying slight pressure in between Ronove's legs. He let out a small gasp, looking away to the side. Battler took this chance to attack his pale neck, sucking lightly. Ronove held his breath as he shut his eyes, breathing a bit heavier than usual.

"Does it feel like 'friendly love'?" Battler chuckled against Ronove's neck, making him quiver.

"A-ah.. I b-believe I was wrong th-then.." Ronove whispered. Battler chuckled again, loving how submissive Ronove was being. He paused to look down at the shivering butler beneath him. He was happy with his reward of a blushing Ronove, but he still wanted more.  _More._  He resumed his attack on the pearly-white column, leaving his mark. Once he was satisfied with that, he moved on to Ronove's mouth. He gently sucked on his lower lip before delving into his mouth completely. His tongue eagerly explored all around, before poking at Ronove's own tongue.

 _Come out to play~_  Battler thought. As if on cue, Ronove began to react, intertwining them both. Battler busied his hands as he started to undo the buttons of Ronove's shirt, wanting to feel skin-to-skin contact. Surprisingly, the demon had begun to undress the other, too, all the while moaning into their heated kiss.

_The night is young._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo… looks like I'll be continuing this for at least a few more chapters… I just really love this couple, ok? DON'T JUDGE ME- Criticism is greatly appreciated! Thanks!


	4. Ronove's Past

And there Battler was, straddling Beato's butler, in his dimly lit room, on top of his bed. He was vaguely aware of his labored breathing as he pulled away and observed his handiwork. Below him lay a lightly flushed Ronove, tangled hair strewn around the pillow; making a stark contrast between the white covers and dark brown locks. His dress shirt was no longer buttoned up to the collar and was exposing red and irritated skin, partly glistening with saliva. The marks were beginning to bloom and bruise, and Battler was reminded of roses.

 _Damn, how can this guy manage to stay elegant even in these situations?_  Still a bit annoyed, his eyes continued to rove over his work. He noticed Ronove's swollen and red lips, a bit of drool seeping out from the corners. Battler bent forward to lick it off, though he didn't really do it for the sake of cleanliness since Ronove would end up with saliva on his face anyways. He continued his wet stripe past jaw and ended at his collarbone, biting down on the vulnerable skin there. Battler heard a small whine escape from the butler's irritated lips and sat back up to once again make his observations.

Underneath half-lidded eyes and gold-framed monocle, Ronove intensely stared back, lips slightly parted. Battler was finding the sight before him to be a bit too much. His heart skipped a few beats and his white pants suddenly felt too constraining. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and almost started to panic right then and there. The red-head couldn't believe that Ronove, thousands of years old and 36th or whatever the hell his rank is, demon butler was able to turn him on. Not one of the sexy stake sisters or even Beatrice herself, but her creepy butler.

Ronove surely must've noticed the growing bulge in Battler's pants (or rather felt it), because he offered a knowing smirk. Battler's felt his face grow hotter; even his ears.  _Gah! Go back to moaning my name, you stupid pervert!_  And with a flustered scowl painted on his face, he leaned back down to remove his monocle, placing it on the bedside table. Once that task was done, he moved on to the next task of unbuttoning the rest of the shirt, kissing the new skin that was revealed. Deciding to take the risk (mostly it was just to see what kind of sounds he could pull from Ronove), Battler stuck his tongue out and snaked his way into Ronove's naval. Above him, he heard the brunette's shocked gasp, followed by smaller breathy pants. It was Battler's turn to smirk.

"B-Battler, I… This is quite the de- mnnn- claration of love you're making.." Battler had started nibbling on Ronove's neck again, exhaling cool air on the fresh marks. He smiled against the bitten skin and trailed small kisses up his jaw line and over his high cheek bones. He let his fingers roam around the mess of brown strands of hair and let them slip behind Ronove's neck, nails marking lines of sensation on his scalp. He noted that the hair here was starting to get damp with sweat. This only made Battler grin wider.

"Yeah w-well I don't usually do this kind of thing to others.. girls typically confess to me, y'kn-know? Though if other girls confessed to me like how I'm doing right now, I couldn't be bothered to even come to the island in the first place.. Heheheh~" Battler was finding those scenarios to be extremely pleasing.. Especially if that foreign girl with the C-cups who had confessed to him in the 7th grade had done it like  _this_ …

"Th-that would be quite unfortunate i-if that happened.." Ronove had pulled Battler from his 'very innocent and totally not perverted' fantasies, and was once again staring at Battler with those amazingly cerulean eyes. Battler couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at the gorgeous color, since he felt like his own were just a watered down version of Ronove's. Trying not to frown, he focused on what the butler had said, but found himself frowning anyway.

"A-and why is that? You don't think it'd be awesome t-to have a harem of cute girls at your feet?" Battler felt a bit of confusion appear on his face, but tried to chase it away as he shrugged the shirt off of Ronove's arms. He tossed it to the side and tried to land another kiss on him. He couldn't accomplish that seeing as Ronove had taken the liberty to buck Battler off and pin him to the bed, a mirror of what Battler had managed to do earlier. The flushed red-head let an articulate, "H-huh?" escape from his throat and gazed up at the Ronove that was now straddling him. He quickly unbuttoned Battler's shirt and slipped it off his shoulders; slender fingers not fumbling once while he kept steady eye contact. He then proceeded to run his now bare hands (wait when did his gloves come off?) up and down Battler's chest, making sure they caught on his nipples. Battler felt his eyes flutter shut to better the sensation, and let out a shaky moan.

"It would be unfortunate, at the very least for me, if you had not come to the island, for I would never have gotten the chance to do  _this_  with you." At 'this', he traced a spiral around Battler's left nipple with his manicured nail, then pinched the hardening nub. The teenage boy below him let out a squeak, already fidgeting and further messing up the sheets. Battler felt a cool breath ghost over his face and let his eyes open up to a sliver. The first thing he saw was Ronove's famous (or rather, infamous, at least to Battler) smile, only inches away. Some of the blood vessels that were going down to Battler's gut had somehow managed to redirect its route and go to his cheeks instead. He looked up into the blue orbs of Ronove's eyes and was reminded of the ocean; of when he went to the beach with Jessica and the others, splashing water around and laughing in the warmth of the sun.

He was instantly lulled, all at once feeling… safe. Well, safe wasn't a really good way to describe it. It made him feel a bit protected, yes, but that could also be interpreted as possessiveness. Which Battler didn't mind, he was used to having girls fight over him (wait, didn't Rudolf try to warn him of something like that? Ah, it didn't matter!). In fact, he was finding that to be a bit attractive. Maybe a little more than 'a bit'.. Battler was still staring when Ronove had decided to speak up, though it was hard to pay attention.

"And in case you haven't noticed, I am not really interested in having a harem of  _girls_." He punctuated the sentence by ghosting his hand over Battler's crotch, and Battler swears his heart had become a trapeze with all the flips it was doing. His eyes were screwed shut now, brain trying to register what the words just said to him meant. Finally, it broke through to him.

 _Oh. Right._  Guess that explains the flirting. Wait, but Battler liked.. well, to be crude (which Battler has no problem with), he liked boobs. Soft, squishy mounds that bounced on girls' chests. And as Battler looked back up, he acknowledged that Ronove definitely did  _not_  have boobs. Though the view was really nice…

Never in a thousand years had Battler thought he would admit that another man's nude torso would turn him on, but here he was. A demon butler with slightly feminine hair (shut up, you think it's sexy [no I do not!]!) and a creepy smile, sitting on top of him, making his heart BPM go straight through the roof. He didn't want to sound like a whiny girl, he really didn't. But he didn't think he'd be able to handle much more. The brief touch had already made him start panting lightly, and he felt extremely confused. He wasn't sure if he wanted more or not. Despite his reputation, Battler had only gotten to 3rd base with any of the girls he was with, but was never able to take it any further, even if he had the approval of Rudolf (but make sure to be safe!). And he had even gotten to show Battler how to put a condom on when he was little, though that was abruptly ended when his mom walked in and had practically killed him, all the while sporting one of the most flushed faces he had even seen her wear.

 _What do guys even do anyways..? Do they just suck each other off? That doesn't sound nearly as fun as what you do with a girl.._  Battler was certainly not educated in this. And he hated to admit it, or ask questions. Especially to Ronove, where he would probably tease him and try to 'demonstrate'. Besides, it was really rare to see homo couples back where he lived. The only reason he even knew that existed was because his friends in school were talking about this new hot lesbian couple, and how they should plant a camera in their bags or something. Which Battler had to admit, it  _did_  sound like a good idea at the time. But when he tried to bring it up again, but with dudes, they looked at him like his brain had grown legs and walked out of his skull.

Which would definitely explain why he thought that could be nice, too. But he realized that it was like a taboo of sorts, so he never touched the subject again. He only thought about it sometimes, and tried to imagine himself with one of his guy friends, or, heaven forbid, George, but that had simply left him feeling disgusted, so he just shut it out.

It was all feeling really confusing, but he decided he needed to stop thinking, because there was a half-naked butler straddling him, and he needed to take advantage. When he finally returned to the present, he noticed that Ronove was staring at him strangely. His eyebrows were arched up, eyes displaying a shimmer of worry. Battler wasn't sure why. Did he accidentally let some of his own concerns slip out? No, he would've remembered speaking, right? Then again, he couldn't really remember having Ronove's fingers tangle in his hair. He focused on that instead, leaning into the touch.

"Battler, is everything all right?" Ronove's deep and lust-filled tone was gone, and was replaced with the type of tone that his mother had used when he had gotten sick from Jessica, after refusing to let her rest while she felt bad and continuing to bug her while she lay in bed. Although Battler felt warmth run though his body from hearing Ronove's concern, he wanted it to go back to how it was earlier.

He didn't want to have to think. So in response to that question, Battler simply tugged Ronove down and kissed him, drawing in his lower lip between his and sucking on it. He was rewarded with a small whine, and the fingers in his hair tensed once, but kept massaging his skull. He licked at the seam of Ronove's closed lips, silently asking permission. He was granted access as his mouth slid open, and Battler traced his teeth with his tongue, then delved in and poked curiously at Ronove's own tongue. The brunette pushed the wet muscle up and trapped it in between the roof of his mouth and his own muscle, sucking lightly. Battler closed his eyes so Ronove wouldn't be able to see his pupils rolling back in his skull, and made a groan that Battler thought was just a tad too loud.

Ronove must've known,  _somehow_ , because he smiled around the kiss, breaking off a bit off the suction. This enraged the teen a bit, but he refused to admit defeat! So he blindly reached out and grabbed Ronove by the ribs, pulling him closer until he couldn't afford to hold himself up anymore and put his whole body weight on Battler; leaving no place for air to travel between the two. Battler moved his legs apart and bent his knees, allowing the butlers' legs to fall in between. He was surprised when he felt his erection meet Ronove's half-hard one, and broke away from the kiss to let out a shaky moan; this one louder than the last.

Suddenly, he felt that same wave of confusion from before, though this one tried to make itself more known. Ronove must've noticed the look on Battler's face, though how he didn't mistake for pleasure was something Battler was never able to figure out. He placed a finger under his chin and gently pushed his head, forcing him to face worry-laced eyes and swollen lips formed into a slight frown. He was still breathing heavily, though Battler easily drowned him out with his own gasps.

"B-Battler, please do tell me what's bothering you. Is this uncomfortable? I know I take things too far on occasion, but I try to stop myself. We can stop, if you like," Ronove smiled a gentle and charming smile at Battler, filled with warmth and tinged slightly with concern. He began to stand up, but Battler placed a trembling hand on his arm, preventing him from leaving.

"N-no wait! I-I uh.. ahhh.."  _Damn, how can he speak full sentences after that?_  Battler faltered, though he didn't relent on his firm grip of Ronove's arm. He tried to pull him back down, but Ronove shook his head, seeming to say, 'not until you tell me what's wrong'. The shivering teen whined, not at all welcoming the cool air on his chest. The demon seemed to sense what Battler wanted, just like he seemed to know everything else Battler was feeling and/or thinking, so he was willing to compensate.

He put his hand over the one that was holding him captive and gently pried his fingers off, despite Battler's protests. He then proceeded to push himself up against the headboard, making himself comfortable in his cross-legged sitting position. Once he was satisfied, he lightly pulled Battler towards him, eventually pushing him into his lap. He was forced to face forwards, and then pushed into Ronove's chest, arms loosely wrapping around his middle and chin placed atop his fiery head. For some reason, Battler was finding this to be more intimate that their earlier kiss. It felt like his heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest, and his brain turned into mush, limbs going lax in Ronove's embrace.

Battler was still breathing heavily, but he eventually calmed down, even if his skin got goose bumps when Ronove kissed the top of his head, or the shell of his ear. Battler thought that now he'd be interrogated, but Ronove let the silence stretch, only breaking it when he landed a kiss on his shoulder, or when he tried to pull him closer, which really wasn't possible, and Battler made a small sigh of acknowledgment.

 _Well, it seems like he's not trying to pry. Which is actually nice of him.. Wow, maybe he's not a total creep after all.._  It was then that Ronove decided to run his hands up his chest and his fingers caught on his nipples once more. Battler leaned his head back and allowed it to lay on Ronove's shoulder as he let out a small gasp.  _Nevermind._

The soft hands drifted back down to their original position and Battler felt a whisper in his right ear. "Ah, do forgive me, Battler. It seems I cannot control myself around you," Ronove chuckled lightly, sending shivers down his spine. Battler could've made some remark about how it was only his natural irresistibility, but he only 'humph'-ed in response. This just caused the brunette to chuckle a bit more, but he finally stopped. Battler was bracing for the question, but it still didn't come.

"Aren't you g-gonna ask me if I'm ok or whatever?" Battler asked in an exasperated tone.

"Honestly, it's a bit obvious to see your discomfort, so I will not. That is, unless you prefer to talk about it," Ronove explained rather simply, and proceeded to kiss his shoulder again.

 _Wow. You're… really nice._  Battler almost said it out loud, but stopped himself at the last second, instead making a sound of amazement and a sigh, which sounded a bit like, "Wahhhhh.." Embarrassed of making such a pathetic fool out of himself, Battler clasped his hands over his mouth, face completely red and shoulders tensing. Ronove's response was to laugh. Not his usual self-contained laugh, daintily covered by a gloved hand, but an actual, honest-to-goodness laugh; filled with warmth and pure amusement. And it was contagious. Soon, Battler found himself laughing along with him, completely forgetting his earlier pout and humiliation. Once they finally settled down, Ronove pressed a kiss on the side of the red-head's neck, in turn, Battler only sighed, almost completely content.

There was still something bothering him, and since it just seemed so easy to talk to Ronove now, with the new development and earlier development (back when Battler was still finding his trust in Ronove). Still, he could make fun of Battler, and Battler wasn't positively sure. Somehow, he almost felt obliged to confide in the butler. It was only fair, since it seemed like Ronove was trying so hard to gain Battler as a friend in the very least. Though he  _did_  have odd ways of going about it.

_I could file for sexual harassment, you jerk._

Battler didn't say that, though he might've wanted to. Fine fine, he'd do it. He'd talk to Ronove about his… issues. He wasn't sure if it would help much, but he might as well, right? "Ronove?" Battler asked tentatively.

"Yes?" Ronove replied warmly.

Argh, how was he going to say this? How to word it without sounding like a complete idiot? "U-umm.. Well, you see here.. I've never actually thought about being with a g-guy… Like, it occurred a couple of times in my head, but that was really weird, so I prefer not to think about it.. A-and well.. You're a guy,"

"Clever observation," Ronove interrupted.

"Shut up, let me finish!"

"My apologies, Battler-sama. Please, continue," The butler suppressed a laugh. Battler only flushed brighter at the new honorific.

"Ahem. Like I was saying. Ehmmm.. So you're a guy. A-and, well, that's not a bad thing. You're a bit different than the others… And I know you probably have lots of experience with other demon guys because I mean, that kiss, man.." Battler flustered. "And I-I don't. Like at all. I d-don't…." Battler paused, not sure if he could be any more embarrassed,  _ever_. He covered his face with his hands, though he knew it didn't really matter much, since he was facing forward. Still. It made him feel  _slightly_  better. Now muffled, he hesitantly continued in a low voice.

"I don't know how to do anything. I don't know what f-feels good, and what doesn't. My god, this is  _humiliating._  Ahhhh..!" Battler absently tugged at his hair. He was sure he'd pull some strands out if he wasn't careful, but Ronove (thankfully) pulled his hand away and intertwined his slender fingers with Battler's. Battler wasn't sure how many times he blushed while he was with Ronove, but this was definitely a record.

"I understand your feelings, Battler. You don't have to feel embarrassed. If it's any consolation, I went through the very same thing you're going through right now, though I didn't have anyone to tell me things. And there's not necessarily any book out there, written on how to understand homosexual feelings," Ronove smiled against Battler's spiky locks of hair.

"W-wait, so who taught you? Ah wait, don't tell me. It was another demon guy, probably creepier than you, and he, like, tied you up and stuff. 'Cuz you're into that. I don't know. Yuck," Battler shivered, the image of a naked Ronove, chained up in a cell popping into his mind.  _Weeeeelll… now that I think about it… that doesn't sound too bad.._  Battler was luckily interrupted from his mind wandering to other scenarios when he heard Ronove cough behind him.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, though I did get experience later on from other furniture,"

"Huh? So how'd you know this stuff? Did you hear it from your friends like me?" Battler inquired, a bit confused.

"That, my dear, is a dreadfully long story that will most likely put you to sleep. I simply do not have the energy to recount such a long tale, either," Ronove sighed out.

 _My dear? Did I hear that right?_  Trying his hardest to ignore that part, he relentlessly continued his questioning, interest suddenly piqued. "We have allll the time in the world~! I wouldn't mind knowing. In return, I'll tell you all about me! Though I'm not too sure if there's enough left that you don't know.." Battler trailed off, then spoke up suddenly again. "Oooh! Is it a tragic tale of your forbidden love with a human guy, and in the end, you had to kill him or something? Like on Beato's order? That is soooo cliché that it actually suits you." Battler laughed, expecting Ronove to join him, but when all he heard was silence, he turned around.

Ronove seemed to have an impassive face on, staring blankly ahead. For a split second, he seemed to be in complete agony, trying his hardest to not let tears spill. The image caused Battler to feel like he had gotten stabbed in the heart by one of stake girls. He'd had a lot of experience with that, and it was feeling scarily similar. "No. Don't tell me I guessed right. I didn't. Right?" Battler reached out, caressed his cheek with the back of his knuckles, felt the slight tremors underneath. Ronove inhaled strongly and let out a shaky exhale.

"I wasn't forced to kill him directly. Though I might've well had. I… do not feel like talking about it. It'll only upset both you and me."

Silence stretched between them. Battler stared intently at Ronove, though the butler refused to meet his gaze. Battler almost felt like crying himself. His (wait, 'his'? Aren't you getting a little too ahead of yourself there?) Ronove, usually charming and calm, always radiating an air of an elegant coolness, was trying his best not to cry. Though Battler liked when he broke past that barrier and got to see other emotions, he usually only liked seeing the bashful side of him. Not… whatever this was. Desperate to change Ronove back, Battler quickly leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. He trailed kisses up his nose, over his forehead, down the side of his face and on his cheek. After he recaptured his lips, Ronove brokenly laughed.

"I believe I was supposed to be taking care of your concerns,"

"Pffft they're little things compared to yours. Though if you want to teach me things to help take your mind off it, you're always welcome~" Battler winked at the blushing butler, hoping to lighten the mood. He decided Ronove could talk to him later, if he wanted to. He just wanted to help him in any way he could, and if he was going to have to succumb to his perverted ways, he would! … That sounded a lot weirder than it was supposed to be.

Ronove giggled, already sounding a bit more like himself. "I suppose that could help.. Thanks, Battler," Ronove kissed Battler's cheek. The teen gave him a wide grin before leaning in and giving him a kiss of his own. He pushed forward, letting his body go lax again in the brunette's arms. He loosely wrapped his own over Ronove's neck, deepening the kiss. Before he could attempt to dive into the hot furnace of Ronove's mouth himself, he felt the butler's tongue lick a wet stripe across his lower lip, asking. Battler obliged, opening his mouth and letting him in. Instantly, the taste of gingerbread cookies and tea was tripled. Battler let him explore for a couple of minutes before he pushed up at the intruding tongue. He heard a low growl come from the back of the other's throat, and felt a slight tremor shake his bones.

 _What happened to the refined Ronove?_  Suddenly, Ronove thrust his tongue forward and retreated, only to repeat the motion. Battler shivered more intensely, clutching Ronove's shoulders. He slid his mouth open wider to better accommodate the other, inviting him further. Battler felt him slide down on the bed until he was on his back, pulling Battler down with him. The red-head tried to get more comfortable, and gain some leverage on him, but he ended up accidentally grinding down on his half-hard bulge, causing Battler to see sparks behind his eyelids. Ronove growled in response, grinding back against Battler.

The teen moaned loudly into Ronove's mouth, Ronove swallowing them down as if they were some sort of nourishment. Battler eagerly continued the motions, no longer caring about the small spark of confusion within him. He could feel the other getting harder underneath him, and he was glad he was the reason for it. Battler felt one hand trail up and down his spine, the other one holding on tightly to his hip. The skin-to-skin contact caused him to shudder; he had almost forgotten that they were both topless. He heard Ronove lightly moan underneath him on a particular thrust. He repeated the movement, harder, and was rewarded with a shaky gasp. Their tongues had become restless, Ronove pulling in and out at a much faster pace. When oxygen became a problem, they pulled apart, leaving a delicate strand of saliva in between them, eventually falling apart when gravity pulled it down.

Battler had never kissed like  _that_  before. He almost wanted to ask Ronove if there was a certain name to that, but refrained from doing so when he realized how stupid that would make him sound. Still, he confided in the brunette enough to ask, "What….was that..?"

"That, my dear, is an example of what I'd like to do to you later on~" Battler almost didn't hear what his response was, focusing a little too much on their motions with their hips. It took a few moments to register, but when it did, Battler's whole face had become red, if it wasn't already. He was about to respond when a feminine voice cut in.

"Baaaaatleeeerrrr~! Time to wake up! The game's about to-…. Start…?"

The pair froze, turning to look at the intruder with wide eyes and flushed faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra-long chapter, yay! No, I'm not dead, I've just hit a writer's block, but I'm done with that & I'm back! I'll be working on True Happiness later on, and it should be up in a few days' time, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten any of my series! I've only read up to the English translations on this, so if I get something wrong, please correct me & don't kill me! *hides* Anyways, criticism and reviews are always welcome! Thanks!


	5. Jealousy

Asmodeus stood in the doorway, light trailing in behind her, making the whites of her eyes become the most noticeable feature on her shadowed figure. Her mouth hung open as her eyes roamed the sight before her. Where she had expected there to be one body, lay two; limbs completely entwined and too much bare skin for her liking.

Well, that goes without saying as she thought a certain extent of flaunting off one's beauty was completely reasonable, as she rather liked the uniform assigned to her…

But that didn't mean men were allowed to have their chest completely bared like that! Especially someone like Ronove, who she (mostly) respected as a high-ranking demon and an amazing chef to boot! She didn't know how she'd be able to continue her life as she watched the pair at first stare back at her, with equally ashamed and furiously red faces, and then try to scramble away from each other; only resulting in getting efficiently tangled up in the sheets and in each other.

Battler was mortified. He was trying to recall exactly which stake this was, or rather her name since he hoped that calling her by the right name would raise his chances. Of what, he didn't exactly know, and he would rather not find out.

"A-Asmodeus! Wh-what are you doing?!" Battler half-screeched, having now retreated into the arms of the demon that was in bed with him and pulling the covers so far up that only his frightened eyes poked through. He had given up on dressing after a quick inspection of his room only to find articles of clothing carelessly tossed aside; his own collared shirt laying a few feet away from the bed and much closer to the intruder proved to be too much of a daunting mission to go get, so he opted to stay in his much more pleasant nest of safety and warmth with Ronove.

"Me?! I should be asking you that! I just came to get your lazy ass out of bed, and I find you guys fu-"

"Snuggling?" A softer voice cut in, coming from behind the sister. Virgilia calmly stood at the door, taking in the sight before her. The pink tinge to her face was all that gave away any sort of reaction. "Pay up," was all she said.

At first, Battler thought she was talking to him, then he got more confused as he skipped past the 'why' and went straight to the 'how', seeing as he didn't have any money on him, nor did he think anyone else did or why there would even be a need for money in this world. And if there _was_  money here, what type of currency was it? Was it yen? Something from another country? Or was it something completely different, like maybe butterflies? He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He wondered how many butterflies he'd have to catch to earn silence from these two. He also wondered how much he'd have to get to buy a uniform from one of the stakes so he could force Ronove to wear it.

That would teach him! Maybe if his pride was knocked down a few pegs, then he wouldn't harass him all the time…. Though he imagined Ronove trying to walk around in that non-existent skirt of sorts and-

Battler was saved from going down that line of thought as he heard yet  _another_  voice filter through the doorway.

"Ugh fine!" Beelzebub floated in and handed Virgilia a wad of what seemed to be cards and a small key. The witch flipped through her payment, and after seemingly being satisfied, smiled at the pair on the bed and walked away. Battler stared wide-eyed at the empty space Virgilia used to occupy, then craned his head backwards to look at Ronove, eyes seeming to ask, 'do you believe this?'

"Well! Since I lost a huge amount of favors,  _youuuu_  have to make up for it! I expect key-lime pie for breakfast or Beato gets a whiff of this~! And don't you dare say you don't have enough time because I sent Asmo here to wake you up super early! Well then, bye~!" The stake of gluttony zoomed out of the room, leaving her very confused and somewhat flustered sister behind.

Battler sat up and groaned, pushing his head into his palms and not really caring anymore about his lack of a shirt. He wiped at his face, trying to will some of the blood vessels to go back and failing when he glanced over at Ronove. He looked to be distressed like Battler, but his eyes twinkled with what seemed to be amusement and… smugness?

 _That bastard! If he planned this thing, I swear.._  He ran his fingers through his tousled fiery locks and with a sigh; he turned to what was left of his audience and glared.

"So what do  _you_  want?" He jutted his chin out at Asmodeus, crossing his arms over his marred chest.

The stake grinned at him. "Oh, nothing. Yet, anyways. I  _am_  the stake of lust, so I don't exactly condone this sort of thing… I would've liked it better if it was with me though.." She paused for a moment to pout. In this moment, Battler wasn't sure if she meant him, which he felt wouldn't necessarily be a  _bad_  thing; he always wanted to experiment a little with the bare-legged sisters.. But if she meant with  _Ronove.._  Well, he couldn't really imagine that refined butler doing  _those_  kind of things to this poor, innocent girl..

Although she was far from innocent… She still  _looked_  young, And Ronove didn't necessarily scream 'teenager'… Battler had first-hand experience with what he liked to call Ronove's 'full-on pervert mode' and that… Battler wouldn't let such a cruel fate be bestowed upon anyone else but him, and he let himself be compared to a hero. Yes, that's it. He was being heroic and sacrificing himself so no one else would have to suffer.

So when Battler made a face that Leviathan would easily be able to identify and blindly searched for the demon's hand under the covers, he told himself it was because he was being a hero. He was most certainly  _not_  being possessive in any way.

Unfortunately, Asmodeus had spent enough time with her sister- Leviathan- to know what that meant and smirked at the sight, ruining her sad puppy-dog look. She pressed on.

" _Buuuuut…_ I'll call in the favor another day.. In the meantime, you better be nice to me, Baaaattlerrrr~! Anyway, see you 'round Ronove!" She added a slight purr into her tone as she said the butler's name, even going so far as to wink at him, before choosing to saunter out of the room rather than flying out like her sister did.

* * *

She left before Battler could burn a hole through her with the hateful glare he was projecting and walked a bit further down the hallway. She bumped into a sulking Gaap, who was muttering to herself and didn't even seem to notice her. She only moved on, shoes clacking on the white tiled floor. Asmodeus simply chuckled and carried on, knowing that Virgilia's victory entailed a key to Gaap's personal library, rarely used by the blonde demon herself, but rather used as a sort of bargaining chip to get Virgilia to do whatever she wanted.

Asmodeus also noted the cards given to Virgilia and knew they were 'get-out of-jail' cards of sorts that the witch could use against Gaap if she was being annoying or if she was asked to do something she didn't like. The stake of lust knew there were rules that came with them, but she never felt the need to use them, since she thought Gaap's sense of fashion was actually quite tasteful; something only her and the demon could agree on. Besides, she felt like Gaap wouldn't let her model her outfits if she sent her away using the cards. So maybe Asmodeus was being just a smidgen selfish here, but once she told Mammon and the others, she was sure they would agree with her.

… Though she  _did_  promise to keep quiet, didn't she..? It's not like she ever kept her promises, so she didn't really feel like keeping this one. Especially since this new tidbit of information was simply too juicy to keep on the down-low~! Still… she thought it would benefit her  _more_  if she kept it to herself, because she knew her other sisters couldn't exactly keep secrets, and the fun would be cut short by the inevitable spill of gossip.

She rather enjoyed the gossip, and was one of the youngest sisters, but they would ruin her charade of flirting with Ronove too easily by making it obvious that they were trying to get Battler jealous, and she would certainly not have that! She rather preferred to see the hilarious expressions Battler would soon pull, and the rest of her sisters wouldn't even notice- since she tended to flirt with just about everything that moved, Battler just didn't know- or might even urge her, taking part in the fun of teasing the red-headed idiot. Yes, she would keep it a secret for the sake of humiliating Battler. Not for any other reason..!

It most certainly was  _not_  because she actually felt obliged to keep her promise, because she had never heard of this strange thing called 'morality' and  _definitely not_  because she took pity on the boy. Her current plan was far more sinister than the one that included her blabbing to the whole world about that.. situation. Therefore, it would be deduced that she did  _not_  like the teen in  _any_  way, and that she was being her usual, cruel self!

Satisfied with her conclusion, she sought out her sisters already in the game room, and no one questioned her leer as she was often seen with that look.

* * *

Back in Battler's room, the duo completely oblivious as of what's to come, they both indulged in some morning kisses. Battler couldn't quite believe he had spent the night up with Ronove, even if the session with Beato had run pretty late. Time always seemed to slip by too fast when he was with the butler, and he found himself not wanting to get up from his cocoon like state with Ronove. During their all-night make-out session, Battler didn't even feel the fatigue, but after their embarrassing encounter with the others, he felt the waves of sleep trying to pull him under.

The only source of light in the room came from the crack in the doorway, seeing as Asmodeus couldn't even be bothered to close the door all the way; and the ray of light was able to assault Battler's eyes. He groaned, squeezing his eyelids shut and snuggling closer to Ronove. He had been unnaturally quiet during the whole time and Battler though it weird that the demon hadn't made any not-so-secret innuendoes or comments yet…

Ah, it didn't matter! Battler rather preferred the change of pace, and caught the others' lips with his own before he could ruin it. Ronove languidly kissed back, tangling his fingers in Battler's spiky locks. The butler turned on his side to better accommodate the kiss, other arm resting on Battler's nude chest and legs intertwined with the teen's. If Battler was a cat, he would be purring right about now. Luckily, he wasn't, and he only let out a sigh of contempt in between the slow kisses. Battler felt like he was swimming through a warm sea of pure bliss, and he was soon lulled by the sweet and addicting taste that was simply Ronove.

He had almost drifted off when the demon butler smiled into their kiss and sat up, disturbing Battler's mellow mood. "Oh my, it seems that you are falling asleep," Ronove's shoulders shook with small giggles as he placed a manicured hand over his mouth.

 _How does he manage to look so composed?_  Battler lazily thought as he tried to glare at the man above him, but found he had no energy left and settled for a grunt.

"I must go prepare breakfast and make that pie. You can rest a bit more since it will take a while to bake and I'll come get you once I'm finished. How does that sound?" Ronove gave a soft smile as he looked down at the lazy teen. Battler didn't like any idea where he had to be separated from him, so he tried to argue by pulling him down for another kiss. He felt Ronove's silky hair tickle his face and reached out to pull the strands back, letting his nails lightly dig in and scratch. He pulled back a little and breathed out,

"Don't wanna.. Stay.." And with that, Battler pulled him under again. Suddenly, their lethargic kiss became more demanding, and Ronove moved to straddle his thighs, slipping his arms behind Battler and pulling him up to meet with Ronove's chest. Battler didn't remember when tongue was introduced, but he suspected the nails trailing down his spine and in his hair as a distraction. He felt something in his gut stir, and eagerly competed with the demons' touches with his own; running one hand up and down on Ronove's chest and the other caressing his outer thigh.

It ended as promptly as it began, and the brunette quickly detangled himself in favor of finding and slipping the rest of his uniform on. Battler still sat on the bed, panting, cheeks sporting a dusty red glow. When he looked back at the brunette, he saw him in his immaculate suit, hair in check and gloves donned on. The only sign that showed of their earlier activities was a slight pink tinge to his cheeks and his usual pale lips now an irritated red. Battler on the other hand, was a shuddering mess.

"It's not fair how you can look so normal after that!" Battler shakily got out of the bed, leaving a complete mess of the sheets behind. He stalked over to the butler, not caring about his tangled hair or the cool air nipping at his skin. He stopped in front of him, shoving his index finger in Ronove's face. "Be more affected by me!" He angrily demanded. Ronove quickly snatched the teen's hand and placed it over his own crotch, letting him feel the results. Battler gasped. He was half-hard.

"You do affect me, Battler. More than you know," Ronove had leaned forward and purred in his ear before moving away and looking over his shoulder at the shaken teen behind him. His blush spread all the way to his ears and down his neck, making him look a bit like a lit candle. He clutched his hand as he seemed lost for words. After a few moments of trying to maintain himself, he was finally able to yell,

"Y-you! How do you expect me to move on like this?! Not everyone can hide it so well like you!"

"My apologies, I had simply assumed that we had done worse last night, and that you wouldn't be so badly shaken." He smiled innocently at the 'candle'. It was not amused. He glared and turned his back to him, walking straight into the door of the bathroom with a loud smack.

"Ow! Stupid door.." Battler rubbed his nose and glared at the door as well. He refused to look back at Ronove where he was most likely laughing, so he pressed on. Right before he was able to get into the safety of the bathroom, he heard the demon call out,

"Are you sure you won't be needing assistance in the shower?"

Battler only slammed the door shut in response, muttering and cursing under his breath as he instantly turned shower knob on; hoping Ronove could take a hint.

After spending a suspiciously long time in the shower, Battler finally emerged from his room and headed down to the kitchen, hair still damp and falling in his face. He was feeling slightly better now, and had somewhat of a smile plastered on his face. There was a pleasant smell in the air, and his stomach loudly complained as to why there was no food yet. This made Ronove turn from the stove and towards the culprit. He laughed lowly, making Battler blush and duck his head as he took a seat at the small round table there. Battler continued to stare down at the white table. He was glaring at it, but not for the reason you may think.

He thought there was just too much white. All the rooms, hallways, furniture, almost everything was white. Even the single tulip placed on the table was white. His own damn suit was mostly white, and if he had known that he would be trapped in this place, he would've worn the most colorful pieces of clothing he owned, not caring if he looked like a color-blind idiot. Then again, if he knew this would happen to him, he wouldn't have even come to the island…

Though that meant he never would have met Ronove.. and he wasn't sure if he wanted that..

"Hey Baaaatleeerrr, what's with that pathetic look?~" An annoying ringing noise pierced his thoughts and he looked up to see Beelzebub floating over him. He gave an irritated growl, and was about to yell in her face for getting too close, when Ronove backed her up with,

"Yes, what seems to be the problem, Battler?" He asked in a much more polite manner. Battler like this more civil tone, and decided to answer to _him_ , and not the floating stake looming over him.

"There's too much damn white!" He exclaimed, pointedly staring at the tulip before him. Ronove noticed his stare and smiled.

"Is that so?" He turned his back to return to his cooking, but knew his work was being done as he heard a small intake of breath come from behind him. Battler had witnessed the tulip changing color from white to red, almost as if the tulip had bled and was now completely stained a fiery color.

 _Damn demon, trying to show off. Well at least he did something about it. I would've preferred blue, though.._  After thoroughly glaring at Ronove's back, he asked, "Why red?"

The butler seemed to pause for a bit in his cooking, but then continued again as he calmly replied, "I chose red because it is the color of your hair," He then brought a plate over to Battler and set it in front of him, smiling as he observed more of that particular color begin to blossom.

Meanwhile, Asmodeus watched the scene play before her and decided this was a perfectly good part to butt in. "Hey, c'mon! Feed us too, Beelze is getting cranky over here!" She tugged on Ronove's sleeve and led him back to the stove.

"Shut up before I steal  _your_  food, too!" Battler heard Beelzebub yell in a slightly muffled manner and looked down at his plate to discover part of his breakfast missing. He saw that the scrambled eggs and French toast were mostly left untouched, but where there should have been a slice of pie was only a few crumbs and some remains of whipped cream.

"Hey!" Battler yelled and grabbed at the lapels of her coat, trying to bring her down to the floor. Beelzebub kicked at him to try to get him to loosen his grip, but Battler stubbornly held on.

"Let go, faggot!" Beelzebub screeched. This completely enraged Battler, and he spit in her face. Hey, if she was being childish, then he would be, too! The stake of gluttony gasped, feeling revolted and started pummeling his face. She only got a few good hits in as she was roughly pulled away by a smiling Ronove.

"Now now children, let's not fight at the table. We are trying to eat here, ok?" Ronoves' words themselves were formed into a question, but his tone was one of a command. Beelzebub looked into his smiling face and managed to find it cold and unforgiving. She shivered.

"Y-yes, Ronove!" She escaped from her grasp and instantly flew off, but not before grabbing a plate or three. Battler now cradled his jaw, releasing a long line of curses under his breath.

"And you! Fix your language young man, or no breakfast for you!" She wagged a finger at him, clucking her tongue.

"What are you, my mom?" He muttered as he took a bite of his toast. Battler expected some sort of outburst, but he only received a giggle. He arched an eyebrow and brought his gaze over to the sister, who now seemed to be clinging to Ronove's arm.

"I almost feel like we're a married couple, trying to get our kids to settle down for breakfast~!" She giggled again, and Battler rolled his eyes, expecting Ronove to politely, but firmly push her off, but nothing seemed to be going the way he thought it would be. To his dismay, Ronove _laughed_  with her, and he served a plate for Asmodeus first, then himself. They sat across from the surprised teen, and a bit too close to each other for Battler's comfort. Battler opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted as the rest of the stake girls filed in. Ronove left his seat (thank god) to serve them, and conversation easily flowed between him and the girls.

Battler observed from behind his teacup, noting that all the sisters were cheerful, even Belgephor and Satan.  _Maybe_ , Battler figured,  _all the sisters are like that with him?_  He tuned out most of the conversation, stabbing his eggs with his fork, but he involuntarily heard snippets like,

"..and of course I told Master that we'd be there for her, and she smiled!"

And..

"Virgilia let me in the library last night and I had a good time reading with her.."

And..

"…well, the point is that Gaap said she'd let me try some of her new clothes on, but we need an audience.. Do you wanna come, Ronove?"

That one caught his attention, and Battler stopped his torture of the food to look up at a certain pig-tailed stake batting her eyelashes at Ronove. He watched as Ronove glanced his way before smiling back at Asmodeus.

"Of course, I'd love to," Ronove replied warmly and patted her head. She grinned at him, letting out a noise of approval.

 _What?!_  Battler almost objected, but he bit his lip and refrained from doing so. It would be silly to butt in; it was none of his business of what the furniture did together… Still.. He didn't have to necessarily like it. So instead of voicing his opinion, he opted for glaring at his food, already pulverized by his fork. He suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore, since he was thinking of the kinds of outfits Gaap would provide.. He shuddered and pushed his tray away.

It seemed like the rest of the stakes were finished with breakfast too, and they all filed out again. Battler tried to sneak out with them, but him being a head taller and being the only male, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Ronove grabbed his arm and pulled him aside before he could even set foot outside, and Battler tried not to push him out of annoyance. Unfortunately, he still flinched, which didn't go unnoticed.

The butler observed him with worry-laced eyes, but was quick to smile and hand him a piece of pie he had hidden underneath a pot lid. "Do not think I didn't see you sulking over missing my famous key-lime pie! I saved a piece, just for you," Ronove split a piece with his fork and held it up to Battler's mouth.

Battler was certainly not amused. He didn't think it was fair that Ronove could act like that so freely with everyone else. Sure, he was a pure gentleman, but Ronove had made Battler feel.. treasured, and special! And if Ronove seemed to be able to act like that with  _other_  people… Was he just being played?

Battler knew he should've never trusted him. Never,  _ever,_  trust a demon… Well at least he learned his lesson..

He turned his head away from the slice, declaring in a low voice,

"I don't want your damn pie."

Battler could feel the butler's questioning gaze on him, but he refused to even look at him. Instead, he inspected the red tulip at the table beside them. At first he felt ecstatic that Ronove made such a sweet gesture, but now he found it completely cliché and distasteful. He narrowed his eyes at it, trying to will it to spontaneously combust, but no such luck.

Battler then felt a pressure at his cheek, forcing him to turn. He saw Ronove's shockingly blue eyes cloud over with worry, and heard his voice lose its usual flirty and joking tone. "Battler? Something is bothering you. Please, tell me?" Battler couldn't stand his intense and scrutinizing stare, nor his soft words, so he simply tried to pull away, but Ronove wasn't letting go of him anytime soon.

 _Curse demonic strength._  The teen finally gave up and allowed himself to be led back to the kitchen table. The tulip was now closer, and Battler gazed at it hatefully, trying to refrain from simply reaching out and shredding it to bits.

"Is there something you have against tulips? I'll get rid of it, if you like," Ronove sat across from him, one hand carefully tucked underneath the other. Battler only snorted in reply and slouched down in his seat; arms crossed at his chest. Battler suspected Ronove thought he was being childish, but when he snuck a peek at the man, he still seemed to be genuinely concerned.

 _Damn, he's a good actor._  Battler snidely remarked. Ronove was still staring at him pleadingly, and Battler not quite knowing what to do, decided to cave and take a bite of his so-called famous pie.

It was amazing! Wow! He never expected it to be  _this_  good! He shoved another forkful into his mouth, momentarily forgetting about how he was supposed to be rebelling against the chef, and refusing his food.

"That good, hm?"

Battler looked up to see Ronove's smirking face and finally remembered himself. He put the utensil down and mumbled, "Yeah, it's not so bad or whatever.." Still chewing the mouthful down and trying not to smile in satisfaction. He reached down to cut into it some more, but he regrettably discovered he had finished the whole thing! Battler guessed the disappointment showed on his face, because Ronove chuckled and offered,

"If I give you another slice, will you confide in me and tell me what irks you?"

Battler snorted. "Don't say 'irk', that is so nerdy not even  _you_  can make it sound cool," Battler then seemed to consider his options. His mind was already made up, he really,  _really_  wanted more of that amazing dessert, but he didn't want to seem too eager..

"Are you insinuating that whatever I say sounds.. 'cool'?" Ronove formed quotation marks in the air with his fingers and his smile became wider, showing a bit of his sparkling white teeth. Battler felt his cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

"N-no! I'm not! It's just.. you.. Get me some more goddamn pie!" Battler pointed at the butler and demanded. Ronove only laughed in response.

"Yes yes, of course, Battler-sama," Golden butterflies carried a tray over to the table and disappeared once it landed safely on the top. Battler only rolled his eyes but eagerly reached for a slice.

"So, Battler.. you still have your part of the deal to complete," The demon calmly stated. Battler tried to respond, but couldn't speak around the mouthful he was loudly chewing. Ronove shook his head and sighed sadly. He grabbed a napkin and gingerly placed it over the red-head's mouth. "Battler, please do not eat with your mouth full. It is very unbecoming and does not suit a handsome young man like you," He clucked his tongue.

Battler tried to glare at him, but the effect was ruined by the dusty red tint sprinkled over his cheeks and nose. He swallowed the dessert and tried again once the napkin was taken away, or rather teleported away by more butterflies.  _Really, did he_ have  _to use magic for everything?_

"Yeah well.. I just don't like the way Asmo is flirting with you, ok? I mean, it'd be somewhat better if you ignored her, but do you have to be so damn charming?" Battler stared at his pie while saying this, not wanting to see Ronove's smirk. He then felt gloved fingers pull at his own, trying to get him to acknowledge the demon.

"Is that what you think we were doing?" Ronove asked softly, a slight trace of amusement mixed in with surprise and worry.

"Obviously!" Battler spit out. "I mean, maybe you don't notice it because you probably flirt with everyone else, but did you  _have_  to do it in front of me? In front of everyone else?!"

"Battler, look at me," Ronove sternly commanded and Battler found himself obeying. "Asmodeus is a fine young lady that I enjoy talking to, and when she- as you put it- 'flirts', she usually is unconsciously doing it, because she  _is_  the stake of lust after all.  _Or_ , because she has yet to get a reaction out of me, and I simply return the favor. I do not allow myself to be goaded into such things, and she is just doing it for fun," The butler paused for a moment, replaying his speech in his head to see if he left anything out. "Besides, I see her as a daughter of sorts, and I may be into.. certain things, but not incest. Do you understand?"

"Don't even want to know what these 'things' are.." Battler visibly shivered, but continued. "But uh.. yeah, I guess so… I just.. felt like you were.. Um.." Battler mumbled the rest and hung his head, but was brought to look up at Ronove again when he lifted his chin with a fingertip.

"What was that?"

"I said I felt like I was being played! Ok?!" Battler spouted and yanked his head free, crossing his arms again and leaning back into his chair. He wasn't looking at Ronove anymore, so he didn't see when the butler stood and walked over to the other side, but he definitely  _felt_  it when Ronove landed a kiss on his cheek. Again, Battler felt like this was strangely too intimate, but.. he didn't shy away from it. He simply let out a long sigh and turned his head towards Ronove.

"S-sorry.. I just-" Ronove placed a finger over Battler's mouth, efficiently interrupting him.

"It's ok. I understand how you must've felt. I know you may not have much reason to trust me, but believe me when I say that I will never lead you on like that, nor will I ever flirt with others like that. This-" Ronove placed a quick peck on the lips on Battler. "Is real. Never doubt that. Ok?" Battler told himself that he was  _not_  almost moved to tears, because Ronove was being especially cheesy, and that should only make him snort, but.. Battler only nodded minutely and tugged him down for another kiss.

It stayed short and sweet, and once they pulled apart for air, Ronove smiled softly at him, Battler grinned widely back. The butler then reached down on the table for a forkful of pie to feed to Battler, and this time he happily obliged, chewing happily as Ronove toyed with his now dry locks.

"Hey, what did you put in this pie? It doesn't have like any magic in it that makes people agree with whatever you say, right?" Battler asked suspiciously, eyebrows raised. Ronove only laughed and kissed his forehead, expertly shrugging it off. Battler wasn't easily discouraged however, and not-so-smoothly shoved a slice into Ronove's open mouth while he was laughing, just to test his theory. He only seemed a bit surprised at first, but cheerfully chewed and smiled at the red-head.

Battler guessed there was really nothing in it this time, but he wanted a second helping, so he pulled the butler down for a much raunchier kiss. He found that the pie tasted even better like this.

Hiding behind the doorframe, a certain pig-tailed stake watched, at first pleased, and then a bit annoyed. She liked this scene, but she knew it was up to her to spice things up; make sure nothing became dull! She was the stake of lust, and she felt entitled to a job like this! …Well, Zepar and Furfur might not exactly agree on that, but.. no matter! She would help this couple whether they liked it or not!

She happily skipped away, the first part of her plan already forming inside her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long guys! There was a scary lightning strike that landed close by and killed our interwebs, but I had time to do this without any distraction.. And you get and extra-long chapter! Hurray! Oh, and sorry if there was slight OOC-ness.. I tried to keep them in character, but my mind was just in a fluffy mood. Sorry? Well, criticism is greatly appreciated, thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> So I kinda came up with this story late one night, all in one go… so there might be some plot holes and mistakes, but I just really wanted to get chapter one up. I'll definitely write another, and possibly a third. Anyways, I really ship this so much and omg ;n; They need more love! Ah well, criticism is greatly appreciated! Thanks, you guys!


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